A defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
